T-shirts flying off the shelves to benefit Bryan firefighters' families

This photo provided by the City of Bryan shows firefighter Ricky Mantey Jr., who is being treated for burns at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. (AP Photo/City of Bryan)

Photo By HOPD

This photo provided by the City of Bryan shows firefighter Mitchel Moran, who is being treated for burns at University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. (AP Photo/City of Bryan)

With requests coming in from across the country and overseas, T-shirt sales to benefit families of Bryan's injured and fallen firefighters are booming, organizers say.

"We've sold about 3,000 and expect to sell another 2,000 tonight," said Rhett Filkin, a firefighter who's part of an organization called Protection Co. Number One.

In addition to those 5,000 shirts, the group has another 5,000 on order, he said.

Harking back to one of the Bryan Fire Department's earlier names, Protection Co. Number One now sponsors various events, including those supporting firefighters and their families, Filkin said.

Since Feb. 20, the group has been selling T-shirts at $20 each to raise funds for families of two firefighters who died and two who were injured in a Feb. 15 late-night fire at Bryan's Knights of Columbus Hall.

Filkin said the response reflects the tight-knit community among firefighters worldwide as well as the fact that College Station has the world-renowned Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service's Brayton Fire Training Field.

"We end up building relationships and friendships that span the world," he said. "On top of that, every firefighter in the world faces the same risks. If you walk into a fire station and say, 'I'm a firefighter,' you're definitely one of the brothers."

To order T-shirts, visit protectbfd.org and click on the link on the home page.